Are Smaller Cars the Answer to Traffic Problems?

Just about everyone owns a vehicle these days. It is not uncommon for families to own multiple cars because people’s schedules have become much more hectic. But how has this affected our society? Sometimes it is simply unbearable to travel places!

I personally hate dealing with traffic, being parked on the highway is one of my biggest pet peeves.  Since it doesn’t seem like life is going to slow down anytime soon for people, alternatives need to happen.  MIT has been working on a a CityCar project (the Hiroko) that can hopefully eliminate some traffic and clutter in cities. The Hiroko is a 2.5 meter car that has the ability to be folded up to 1.5 meters.

These cars are able to shrink so much that it is predicted that three cars are capable of fitting into one parking spot!  Imagine how much simpler it would be to find parking in a city if people stand downsizing and are able to fit multiple cars in a single parking spot!

I think that the Hiroko design is very practical and a great solution for traffic.  To be honest, I’m not sure how safe I would feel in it, especially driving next to a big SUV, but over time I believe more people should try to downsize their vehicles.  Over the past couple years I have seen more smart cars on the road, so I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before people are driving and folding up their Hirokos.

Reference: http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/mits-citycar-project-hiroko-unveiled/11840/1